When you want to convert whole documents into PDF, the process is as simple as selecting the entire file content. Yet, as you know, most conversions won’t be that simple. You need versatile conversion options—ones that can nimbly extract PDF content into complex formatting, such as Excel spreadsheets. Well, Able2Extract has a few conversion features and options that can make complex PDF to Excel conversions easy.


In this first of three parts, the spotlight goes to one neat little feature where you can convert PDF content into already existing Excel documents. The Convert to Excel Special conversion option is flexible enough to allow you to continue adding onto an XLS spreadsheet starting at 1) a certain cell on the same worksheet , or 2) a certain cell on a different worksheet.


Here’s how:

1) In Able2Extract, open your PDF, and highlight/make a selection of the content to be converted.

2) Select File> Convert to Excel Special.

3) In the Existing XLS File space, browse for and open the Excel file into which you want to insert your selected content. Click on Next.

4) What follows is a listing of the pages/worksheets available within that Excel file. Select the worksheet page on which you want to place the selected content. Click on Next.

5) Enter in the cell coordinates where you want to insert the content once it’s been converted. Note that if you select a cell that already contains data, the conversion will over write the information in the designated cell of the existing excel file. Click on Finish.


Able2Extract will generate a completely new XLS file with both the old and the newly added content merged together (you will need to resave the file every time you add new content to it). This option is handy if you need to compile data from different PDFs into one single resource. It gives you precise XLS spreadsheet assembly and PDF to Excel conversion.


Stick around and you’ll learn how to further customize that PDF to Excel conversion as the next two parts will cover the Custom Excel conversions and Excel Conversion Options. In the meantime, try this feature out, if you haven’t already, and see how it works for your PDF to Excel conversions.